Golf Tips

You are browsing the archives of 2008 June.

EDINA, Minn. (AP) — Korean Ji Young Oh surged to a two-stroke lead Thursday in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open, using seven birdies to shoot a 6-under 67 in dry and calm conditions at Interlachen Country Club.

EDINA, Minn. (AP) — The large gallery gathered around Lorena Ochoa’s group for the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open gave one of the early leaders a loud cheer, as she left the 18th green with a birdie and a 4-under par score.

EDINA, Minn. (AP) — Michelle Wie climbed three steps onto a platform, preparing to explain her quintuple-bogey 9 on one hole and her 81 in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open.

EDINA, Minn. (AP) — The practice range at Interlachen was filled with young players hitting balls under the late afternoon sun, many of them playing in the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time and soaking up all it offers.

By the time this issue hits the newsstands, a few brave men on the PGA Tour are likely to have whipped out their wedding-tackle in front of keen-eyed observers and handed over warm little bottles of their wee-wee for drug testing. Such drastic measures are the result of abiding by the WAD of A (World Anti-Doping Agency), whose regulations athletes have attempted to circumvent in every conceivable manner, including, by at least one cyclist, filling a condom with a relative’s urine and stashing it under his armpit.

Dear Joe,

LONDON (AP) — European captain Nick Faldo said Friday that an American team without Tiger Woods in the Ryder Cup could be just as dangerous if it uses his absence as motivation.

BARRINGTON, R.I. — Rocco Mediate treated his taut U.S. Open battle against Tiger Woods with a smile and a carefree attitude.

You practice your heart out on the range but can’t take your skills to the course. That’s because you don’t practice and play with the same timing and rhythm, and the problem only gets worse under pressure.

The Comebacker this will week will be the exclusive province of, well, You-Know-Who.

MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Martin Kaymer birdied the first playoff hole against Anders Hansen after blowing a six-stroke lead Sunday and won the BMW International Open.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Phil Mickelson has agreed to compete in the LG Skins Game, the first time in five years the three-time major champion will play in the oldest event of the silly season.

NEW YORK (AP) — NBC Sports golf analyst Johnny Miller apologized for his description of U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate, saying the comments had “absolutely nothing to do with his ethnicity.”

MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Martin Kaymer closed in on a Ryder Cup berth when he shot a 67 Saturday for a six-stroke lead heading into the final day of the BMW International Open.

TURNBERRY, Scotland (AP) — Dutchman Reinier Saxton won the British Amateur Championship on Saturday, beating 17-year-old Englishman Tommy Fleetwood 3 and 2 in strong wind and rain on the Ailsa course.

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Stewart Cink birdied the final two holes Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Travelers Championship.

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Stewart Cink was 24 when he picked up his first career win 11 years ago at the TPC River Highlands.

CONCORD, Mass. (AP) — Tom Kite matched the course record with a 9-under 63 on Friday to take the first-round lead in the Bank of America Championship.

MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Martin Kaymer shot a 9-under 63 Friday to take a five-stroke lead after the second round of the BMW International Open.

DALLAS (AP) — A 30-year-old Texas man has been indicted on identify theft charges for allegedly opening credit cards and a cell phone account in the name of pro golfer Justin Leonard, a prosecutor said Thursday.

MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Four players shot a 6-under 66 Thursday to share the lead after the opening round of the BMW International Open, and John Daly struggled to an even-par 72 in a round that included five wild holes on the back nine.

Canada is no longer the great bang-for-the-buck destination it was a few years back (then again, thanks to the weak dollar, what is?), but a journey to British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley is still worth the effort. It may be off the beaten trail for serious course connoisseurs, but its collection of affordable courses and acclaimed roster of wineries make it ideal for another kind of connoisseur. Headquarters for an Okanagan golf trip is the lakeside city of Kelowna, a one-hour flight from Seattle and 15 minutes from the courses you’ll play.

While the golf world mourns the loss of Tiger Woods for the rest of 2008, don’t expect British bookmakers to send the World No. 1 any “Get well soon” cards. UK bookies lost about £1 million each (almost $2 million) when Woods won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. After Tiger’s April surgery and two-month layoff, the odds on his winning his 14th major fell to 7-2 (down from 5-4 earlier in the year), the longest odds on a Woods win since he won his first major in 1997. So when he pulled off his miracle on one leg, the bookmakers got hurt.